Fastener for shoe laces and the like



April 21, 1925.

A. COCHRANE FASTENER FOR SHOE LAC'ES AND THE LIKE) Filed'Feb. e, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTUR A ril 21, 1925; 1,534,029

A. L. COC HRANE FASTENER FOR SHOE LACES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTEIR HTTY Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITE STATE-S A r F F 1 CE.

FASTENER FOR SHOE LACES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 6, 1923. Serial No. 617,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Lrwis Coon- BANE, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada. a

subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Shoe Laces and the like, of which the following is a specification.

With boots and shoes as now manufactured, it is necessary to tie the ends of the laces into a bow or knot to keep the boot or shoe properly laced. There is always more or less trouble with such bows or knots becoming untied unless the ends are tied into such a knot that it is very difficult to loosen even whenit is desired to do so. This is very objectionable and particularly with younger children who have not learned to properly fasten the laces.

My object therefore is to devise means by which the tying of bows or knots may be avoided, and yet the ends of the laces will be securely held so as to keep the shoe properly laced and which will at the same time be simple enough for even a very young child to use. 7

It will be understood, of course, that while the invention is particularly adapted for boots and shoes it is also adapted for securing the ends of ropes, ties, straps, webbing and the like, and the term lace throughout the'specification and claims is to be understood as including any of these.

I attain my object by means of the con- Ystructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of the upper of a boot showing my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 a similar view showing a modification of my invention;

Fig. 3 a plan of the retaining member shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 a sectional detail showing the preferred form of wedging member shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 a side elevation of the wedging member shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 a front elevation of a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 7 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a further modification;

Fig. 8 a perspective view of the fastener shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 a plan view of the same. In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the dif-' ferent figures.

1 is the upper of a shoe and 2 the usual eyelets for the lace. will be seen from Fig. 1, is of special form extending to a point at one side, the point being somewhat upwardly directed, so as to form a wedge-shaped recess, between the sides of which the lace may be wedged when drawn towards the point. The end of the lace is then secured in the retaining member 6 as indicated, the lace being thus retained in the wedge-shaped recess, making it practically impossible to draw the lace back while it is so wedged.

The retaining member '6 may be constructed in many different forms, but is preferably of the'hook type so that the end of the lace may be easily slipped in place and held from accidental disengagement.

In Fig. 3 I show a hook-shaped retaining member in which a spring efiect is obtained by stamping up a tongue d from the part of the hook which is secured to the upper, although other means might be devised for obtaining the same result. This tongue 4: is provided with a knob at its free end to hold the lace from slipping out of the hook.

The opening of the eyelet 3, or at least the wedge portion thereof, is decreased in width from back to front, so that shoulders 5 are formed at the front edge which aid in preventing the withdrawal of the lace when it is wedged between the sides of the wedge portion of the eyelet. The apex of this wedge-shaped recess, it will be noted, is directed towards the throat of the hook-retaining member.

In Figs. 2 and 5 the wedging member is formed as a hook. In this form a shoulder 5 is also formed at the side of the throat of the hook nearest the hook member 7 to aid in preventing the withdrawal of the lace.

In Fig. 6 I show a modification in which the retaining member is formed integrally with the wedging member, the retaining member at one side of the shoe co-operating with the wedging member at the opposite side of the shoe.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I show a modification in which the wedging member and the retain ing member c-o-operating therewith are placed at the same side and are formed as an integral construction. In this construc- The upper eyelet 3, as

tion either the eyelet or hook form of wedging member may be used. A shoulder 9 is formed on the side of the retaining member against which the lace abuts for the purpose of holding the lace in the wedging member;

tion 9 will he formed at the end of this rib.

Various other arrangements are possible,

the essential feature of my invention being the provision of a member in which the lace may be wedged and a retainer adapted to hold the lace in position in the wedging member. V

The boot is laced. in the usual way, the lace being passed through the eyelets, and drawn tight. It is then drawn through the main part of the eyelet 3 until tight, when it is swung into the wedging recess, and the end of the lace then engaged in theretaining member. To unfasten, the end of the lace is easily slipped'from the retaining member and the lace swung out of the wedging recess into the main part of the eyelet, fromwhence it is easily withdrawn in the usual-way.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised constructionswhich will satisfactorily attain the object of my invention as set out in the preamble of this spec- Vification.

What Iclaim'as my invention is 1. In a fastener for shoe laces and the like, the combination of a wedging member in which a lace may be inserted and wedged therein; and a retaining member integral with the wedging member, a shoulder being formed on the edge of the retaining member adjacent the wedging member and under which the lace may be engaged.

2. In a fastener for shoe laces and the like, the combination of a wedging member in which a. lace may be insertedland wedged therein; and a retaining member integral with the wedging member a rib adapted to retain the lace in wedged position in the wedging member being formed adjacent the point of connection between the wedging and retaining members, a. shoulder being formed on the edge of the retaining member adjacent the wedging member and under which the lace may be engaged.

3. In a fastener for shoe laces and the like, the combination with the upper of a shoe of a hook-shaped wedging member, in which a lace may be inserted and wedged therein; and a retaining member integral with an extending from theside of, the wedging member, a shoulder being formed on the edge of theret-aining member adjacent the wedging member and against which the lace may be engaged, said retaining member being arranged so that the end of thela-ce may be frictionally engaged between it: and the upper of the shoe.

l. In a fastener for shoe laces and-the like, the combination with the upper of a shoe of a wedging member in which a lace may be inserted and wedged therein; and a retaining member integral withr and extending from the side of the wedging member, a rib adapted toretain the lace in wedged position in the wedging member being ing from the side of the wedging member,

a projection forming a shoulder being formed on the edge of the retaining member adjacent the wedging member and under which the lace may be engaged, said retaining member being arranged so that the end of the lace may be frictio-nally engaged between it vand the upper of the shoe.

Signed at Toronto, Canada,this 29th day of J anuary 1923.

ARTHUR LEWIS OOCHRANE. 

